Questions Surrounding a New Species of Whale
During the month of September in 1998 an amazing and unique discovery was found by a group of scientists when they went out to the Sea of Japan. There, they collected the carcass of a medium sized baleen whale. This was the ninth specimen needed to complete the research on discovering this new species. This species of the baleen whale did resemble the fin whale, another species of the baleen whale. However, this carcass was much smaller in size. After comparing DNA data of the external morphology, osteology, and mitochondrial, scientists were able to classify all they found into a new and different species. This new species, which was named after a Japanese cetologist, H. Omura, has a unique cranial morphology and a small number of baleen plates. Another wonderful discovery was made while doing this research as well, that was that one of the species of baleen whale could actually be classified into two unique species, Eden’s whale and Bryde’s whale. There were thought to be only five species of the baleen whale. But after the new discovery was made the number had risen to eight.
This finding, however, raises many questions about animal’s rights. In order for the scientists to get information on this new species they had to murder nine other whales, one ‘accidentally.’ This finding was a great feat for science because it is important to learn as much as we can about a species before they become extinct. The rate in which large aquatic mammals are reaching extinction has been rising. So although there is much to be found and much that has been found about not only the new species of the baleen whale, but also the other two species that have risen to the surface, it was not done without farthing along the extinction process of another species.
The scientists claim that the research necessary to compile all the facts regarding the new species of whale did not start until a ninth whale was accidentally killed. However, there were eight other whales, five females and three males, whose death were not accidental. Who were killed for the sole purpose of scientific information. Whose species could all be in danger of extinction.
This find was seen as extremely important and necessary because of the rate in which large mammals are becoming extinct.
The most effective piece of this documentary, however, was neither the structure of the film nor the specific questions that one is forced to answer regarding the ethical treatment of these killer whales, but the overall questions of whether or not these corporations should be allowed to continue their cycle of abuse toward the animals and whether or not we, as patrons, should encourage their behavior by giving them a monetary profit every day, every month, and every year. Ignorance is forgivable, but with the knowledge given in this documentary: the final two questions raised should be able to answer themselves.
Scientists had some idea to the evolutionary process of whales. “It has always been clear that aquatic cetaceans must have evolved from terrestrial mammals and returned to the water, and the forelimbs of recent cetaceans still have the same general pattern as that of land mammals.” (Walking with Whales) It was known fact that land mammals and whales were related. However, the change from ancient whales to modern whales is drastic.
“… building a tank the size of Rhode Island wouldn’t be large enough for a six-ton male killer whale such as Tilikum, an animal capable of swimming 100 miles a day,” states an anonymous whale expert. Whales have been in captivity since 1861 when P.T. Barnum displayed the first live whale that was captured in Canada. However, Barnum had no idea how to care for the mammal and it died after only a week in captivity. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Being up close with killer whales could give us some clues about how they interact with each other, including physical behavior, their dialect, and how their pods work together as a family unit. However, what we are finding is that whales who belong in the wild are suffering in captivity. Killer whales have no record of ever harming a human being in the wild. In captivity, there have been many incidents of killer whales harming or even killing their trainers. What would cause them to do this in captivity, but not in the wild? They have been known to resort to aggression toward themselves and each other, in what scientist believe to be a stress induced behavior. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Evidence against having these wild animals in captivity is increasing and we need reevaluate the value of capturing and holding killer whales for our educational purposes, enjoyment, and profit.
Killer whales are one of the most fascinating displays of ocean life. The killer whale has characteristics that are important to its survival in the ocean. It is interesting to know that killer whales have a plentiful diet. It is astounding to see how killer whales behave in the ocean. I plan to tell you about the killer whale, its characteristics, its diet, and its behavior in the ocean as well as the predation of the orca.
The first whale to ever be captured was Moby Doll. The capture of Moby Doll was an accident; the purpose of getting this whale was so a sculptor named Samuel Burich could make a life size model for the British Columbia Hall Aquarium. Moby Doll was shot numerous times, but would not die. Since the whale would not die they decided to keep the whale and put it on display. There was little information on how to take care of the whale. Moby Doll did not eat for fifty-five days while being held captive. They were giving the whale the wrong food and when they finally figured it out the whale killed itself a month later. “Stories of Killer Captive Whales”.
Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press. p.185-188.
It is the parents’ responsibility to guide their children in all of their activities. If parents fail to guide their children, or even go so far as to arm them, then parents are just as liable for the tragic end results as the video game developer who ‘taught’ the child to shoot a gun or a musician who told the child to “go kill yourself,” in a song lyric. Parents must realize that they are the most influential people in their child’s life from the day the child is born. It is up to the parents to try to teach their child the difference between fantasy and reality; how to interpret theatrics meant to sell tickets; how to interpret the true meaning behind seemingly violent content in their entertainment.
Though any Ocra can mate with another, behavioral adaptation create a form of speciation. Within the pod all Orcas speak a distinct dialect. Like humans, Orcas don’t possess just one language. An Orca from one pod would not be able to understand and communicate with an Orca from another, making mating difficult between the two of them. Leigh Dayton, the curator of marine mammals at Vancouver’s Public Aquarium, discovered this phenomenon by “listening to the two main communities of killer whales that were then divided into pods, each with its own dialect” (Orca Social Structure and (Whale) Dialects, 1). Captive Killer whales live in tanks with a “fake family” that they can’t communicate with due to different imprinting and behavioral adaptations.
Gender relationships are currently defined in American society by historical classifications. Historical representations of gender roles have been carried over to today's culture. The original identities of men and women have survived nearly unchanged throughout time. These are linked to the sexes in a very general way. Men were originally dominant and women, subordinate. Men have always been ideally strong leaders and women, passive and nurturing. These roles have been modernized rather than modified through the years. These standard gender roles and relationships have survived because they remain successful in our culture by satisfying basic needs (Walsh,1987,11).
Due to their social class, Hedda Gabler and Madame Bovary both become alienated individuals. The latter is a part of the bourgeois however; she believes that her rightful place is in the upper class. She married her husband in hopes of traveling, and acquiring great wealth along the way. She dreamed of romance, wealth, and notoriety, but she could not obtain any of these concepts if she stayed with Charles. Emma wanted to attend balls, host extravagant parties, and have a large network of important citizens in France, however being a part of the bourgeois limits what one could do. After attending a ball with her husband, she concluded that her surroundings were mundane, and that “she had been in it all by an accident: out beyond, there stretched as far as the eye could see the immense territory or rapture and passions. In her longing, she made no difference in the pleasures of luxury and the joys of the heart, between elegant living and sensitive feeling.”(66) While Hedda Gabler once belonged to the upper class knows the joys of such parties, and extravagance. ...
The focus of everyday life in the Victorian Age gives an idea of what the people, in that particular time, had to deal with. Men and women alike walked the streets of London to complete their daily tasks set before them, “Hundreds of thousands of men and women drawn from all classes and ranks of society pack the streets of London” (Engels 1591). This kind of picture of everyday life shows us a realistic picture of Victorian London; it was crowded with people from all social lives. Although the Victorian Age did mention social class, it did not focus on it like the Romantic Period did. The Romantic Period tended to focus on the struggles of the poor, how they interacted with the rich, and how love, imagination, or determination overcame social class, as in “The Mortal Immortal”. In the realistic view of the Victorian Age, the poor stayed poor most of the time and did not socialize with the rich outsid...
I just want you to stop and think about what you just saw for a moment. You are a 10 ton Minke Whale just swimming like any other day, when suddenly there is an excruciating pain in your side. You start to panic and pull away from the pain but that just makes it worse. After painstakingly struggling for some time you start feeling slicing pain through your body. Hundreds more stab and attack your skin until you choke on your own blood and eventually die. You are hauled onto a vessel carrying more just like you, most probably to be from your own pod. You bleed even more and are sliced up into small pieces to sell in mass produces of meat to eat. But you shouldn’t worry at all! These inhumane killing sprees are only for research to understand more about how other human impacts are killing whales such as noise pollution and oil pollution. It’s perfectly normal to kill thousands of whales just to see how we can help them! WRONG! Over 500 southern pacific Minke whales experienced this in just one year, and hundreds of other species of whales did too, including endangered species like the Fin whale.
In 1913 Watson published an article which became known as “The Behaviorist Manifesto”. His colleagues did not accept his beliefs as being scientifically valid due to a lack of evidence to prove his theory. His theory focused on the external and outward behavior of people rather than the internal emotional and psychological conditions which was more typical of his time pe...
The Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is part of the marine mammals group. They are found in oceans all over the world, they live in open waters. Even though they are mammals, they do not live on land (Monterey Bay Aquarium). Humpback whales are known for their magical song that can travel great distances. These gentle giants are omnivores, their main diet is krill. They are mostly found near coastlines feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding water closer to the Equator. Humpback whales are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke to propel themselves through or even out of the water! Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appears to be gestures of affection. Even though it takes more than one year for a humpback whale to grow fully, mother whales leave them after one year (National Geographic).
Did you know in the world there are more than 90 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises? (WDC) The dolphin is a very important animal to the ocean and there are many different types to discover. In order to learn about dolphins, it is important to discuss where they live, their appearance, and what they eat. Some helpful words to understand are “dorsal fin”, a dorsal fin is the top pointed fin on the dolphins back, “flippers”, a flipper is a flat fin that dolphins use to swim, and “echolocation” is a tool dolphins use to find food by sounds bouncing off of objects (dictionary.com).